To conveniently support an electrical fixture, such as a ceiling fan, electrical lighting fixture and the like, an electrical light fixture assembly that contains the electrical wiring, cables, etc. is necessary. Typically, the assembly is mounted in an opening of a wall or ceiling panel and secured in the opening by mounting screws attaching it to the exterior wall surface. In some cases the assembly is secured in the opening by screws attaching it to a stud or plate in the interior portion of the wall or ceiling. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,922 to Horsley.
More recently, electrical assemblies have been secured within the ceiling or wall openings via pivotal arms where one arm is mounted on a comer of each of the top and bottom end walls of the assembly diagonally opposite from each other. The electrical light fixture is then secured to the assembly by threading screws within bosses formed in the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,525 to Bowden discloses an electrical outlet box having a pawl mounting assembly which includes a pawl clamping arm. According to this invention, the pawl clamping arm is adapted to be rotated between retracted and extended positions and to travel in a linear direction in the extended position into and out of clamping engagement with the interior side of the wall opening in which it is mounted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,359 to Schnell an electrical box is disclosed that may be mounted in a rectangular opening of a wall surface. The box has rotatable securing arms that after moving axially along screws can be brought into contact with the interior surface of the wall or ceiling panel, thereby preventing the box from being pulled or pushed from the opening.
Other prior art electrical light fixture assemblies are shown in the following U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,742 to Lein; U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,558 to Stuessel et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,764 to Saig; U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,204 to Liss; U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,874 to Finley et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,816 to Jorgensen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,055 to Lewis; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,905 to Schnell et al.
However, none of the inventions disclosed above or elsewhere in the prior art provide an electrical light fixture assembly that can be easily used when the opening extending into and thru the ceiling or wall panel is partially or wholly blocked by a pipe, wall or ceiling stud or other component enclosed within the interior portion of the wall or ceiling.
Thus, a need in the electrical art exists to provide an improved electrical light fixture assembly which can be easily mounted in an opening of a wall or ceiling. This invention addresses the need in the art, along with other needs which will become apparent to those skilled in the art once in receipt of this disclosure.